Rare Book Monthly

Articles - October - 2023 Issue

The 45th Annual Boston Book Fair: October 27-29

Experience Rare Books in person

Experience Rare Books in person

THE BOSTON INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUARIAN BOOK FAIR, RETURNS TO THE HYNES CONVENTION CENTER 

 

This Three-day event features 110+ booksellers offering treasures from around the globe!

 

BOSTON, MA – The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair (BIABF) returns to the Hynes Convention Center in Downtown Boston, October 27-29, 2023. Celebrating its 45th year, this three-day event features fine and rare printed materials from around the globe, including illuminated manuscripts, modern first editions, children’s books, ephemera, photographs, maps and autographs, as well as antiquarian books on a vast array of topics. For more information, visit www.bostonbookfair.com or call 617-938-8879.

 

More than 110 rare book dealers from Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, the UK, and the US will exhibit an alluring treasure trove for seasoned bibliomaniacs and first-time attendees. Prices range from the millions to the eminently affordable. Each item on view, whether immaculately preserved or intriguingly weathered, tells its own story. Each bookseller holds a seemingly bottomless wealth of knowledge, both artistically and historically, about each item in their collection.

 

“This is one of the most important annual events in the country for rare book enthusiasts,” say Julie Roper CEO of Capricorn Event Management, LLC, who has managed the Boston Book Fair since 2015. “After the height of the pandemic, we are seeing resurgent demand for in-person fairs, where a global community of the top dealers offer the most sought-after collections of books, maps, illustrations, and ephemera on the market.”

 

Whether browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, science. sport, natural history, first editions, Americana, fashion, music, children’s books, and much more—appealing to a range of collectors and casual browsers. From the historic and academic to the religious and spiritual, from the exotic to everyday—the Fair represents every conceivable genre and subject. Attendees will have the unique chance to view rare and historic museum-quality items, offered by some of the most prestigious members of the trade.

 

The Boston Book Fair is sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB).

 

In recent years, BIABF has increasingly captured the attention of novice and young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points. For attendees wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, there will be dealers offering “Discovery” items priced at $100 or less. Special events at this year’s fair will include in-person talks, announced in early fall.

 

HOURS & ADMISSION

 

Friday, October 27, Opening Night, 4PM-8PM. Tickets: $25 (available online or at the box office)

Saturday, October 28, 12PM-7PM. Free admission.

Sunday, October 29, 12PM-5PM. Free admission.

 

LOCATION

 

Hynes Convention Center (Hall A), 900 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115

 

Here is the full list of exhibitors (with booth numbers):

 

Click to View Floor Plan 

503 Archway Books
123 James Arsenault & Company
113 B & B Rare Books
420 Lorne Bair Rare Books
525 John Bale Books LLC
325 Antiquariat Banzhaf
214 Bauman Rare Books
116 Simon Beattie Ltd
505 David Bergman
413 Jeff Bergman Books
226 Bernett Penka Rare Books
121 Between the Covers Rare Books
117 Biblionne
114 Manuel Ripoll Billon
310 Black Swan Books Inc.
404 Blackwell's Rare Books
514 Boston Rare Maps
216 Brattle Book Shop
106 Brenner's Books - Rare & Collectable
314 Bromer Bookseller
506 Bull's Head Rare Books
117 Pablo Butcher
418 Capitol Hill Books
120 Librairie Rodolphe Chamonal
119 Commonwealth Books
320 Justin Croft Antiquarian Books Limited
220 James Cummins Bookseller
527 Wilfrid M. de Freitas - Bookseller
407 Derringer Books
118 DeWolfe & Wood
205 Eclectibles
409 Editio Altera
124 Evening Star Books LLC
403 First Edition Rare Books, LLC
305 First Folio
424 Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
523 George S. MacManus Company
523 Gilann Books
224 Globus Rare Books & Archives
513 Thomas A. Goldwasser Rare Books
204 James Gray Bookseller
406 Grayshelf Books
510 HS Rare Books
207 Adrian Harrington Rare Books
410 Peter Harrington
319 Heartwood Books & Art
328 Jeff Hirsch Books
303 Sandra L. Hoekstra Bookseller
116 Honey & Wax Booksellers
114 Hyraxia Books
417 Imperial Fine Books, Inc.
513 James S. Jaffe Rare Books
423 Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers
115 Johnnycake Books
307 johnson rare books & archives
515 Kaaterskill Books
313 Ben Kinmont Bookseller
227 John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller
408 Knuf Rare Books
108 Konstantinopel Rare & Fine Books
203 Kuenzig Books
104 Michael Laird Rare Books
516 JF Letenneur Livres Rares
225 Lucius Rare Books
304 Lux Mentis, Booksellers
323 Herman H. J. Lynge & Son A/S
223 Maggs Bros. Ltd.
515 Mare Booksellers
215 McBlain Books
507 McBride Rare Books
228 Bruce McKittrick Rare Books
425 Willis Monie
414 Howard S. Mott, Inc.
317 Musinsky Rare Books, Inc.
415 Old Editions Book Shop & Gallery
526 Old New York Bookshop
524 Patrick Olson Rare Books
308 Pazzo Books
219 Bernard Quaritch Ltd.
528 Rabelais Inc.
210 William Reese Company
209 L&T Respess Books
217 Resser-Thorner Americana
506 Riverrun Books & Manuscripts
419 Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts
213 Barry Lawrence Ruderman
126 Rulon-Miller Books
427 Antiquariaat Schierenberg
316 Sophie Schneideman Rare Books
327 Scientia Books
324 Second Story Books
519 Shapero Rare Books
518 Jerry N. Showalter, Bookseller
110 Sokol Books Ltd
428 Original Antique Maps by Carol J. Spack
318 Benjamin Spademan Rare Books
405 Dale Steffey Books
209 Ten Pound Island Book Co.
508 Triolet Rare Books
307 Tschanz Rare Books
326 Type Punch Matrix
517 University Archives
108 Adam Weinberger Books
315 West Side Book Shop
504 White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
416 Whitmore Rare Books, Inc.
208 Yesterday's Gallery

 

Here is a link to the show’s official website:  www.bostonbookfair.com

 

 

 

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America.

 

WWW.BOSTONBOOKFAIR.COM

FACEBOOK @BOSTONBOOKFAIR

INSTAGRAM @BOSTONBOOKFAIR

 

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    July 23, 2025
    DOYLE, July 23: WALL, BERNHARDT. Greenwich Village. Types, Tenements & Temples. Estimate $300-500
    DOYLE, July 23: STOKES, I. N. PHELPS. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915-28. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
    DOYLE, July 23: [AUTOGRAPH - US PRESIDENT]FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. A signed photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Estimate $500-800
    DOYLE, July 23: [ARION PRESS]. ABBOTT, EDWIN A. Flatland. A Romance of Many Dimensions. San Francisco, 1980. Estimate $2,000-3,000.
    DOYLE, July 23: TOLSTOY, LYOF N. and NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, translator. Anna Karénina ... in eight parts. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., [1886]. Estimate: $400-600
    DOYLE, July 23: ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury, 2000. Estimate $1,200-1,800
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    Western Manuscripts and Miniatures
    July 8, 2025
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FRANCESCO PETRARCH (b. Arezzo, 20 July 1304; d. Arqua Petrarca, 19 July 1374). $20,000-30,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF THE VITAE IMPERATORUM (active Milan, 1431-1459). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF ATTAVANTE DEGLI ATTAVANTI (GABRIELLO DI VANTE) (active Florence, c. 1452-c. 1520/25). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. FOLLOWER OF HERMAN SCHEERE (active London, c. 1405-1425). $15,000-20,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. An exceptionally rare, illuminated music leaf from a Mozarabic Antiphonal with sister leaves mostly in museum collections. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Exceptional leaf from a prestigious Antiphonary by a leading illuminator of the late Duecento. $11,500-14,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. CIRCLE OF THE MASTER OF MS REID 33 and SELWERD ABBEY SCRIPTORIUM (AGNES MARTINI?) (active The Netherlands, Groningen, c. 1468-1510). $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s | Hindman, July 8. Previously unknown illumination from one of the most renowned Gothic Choir Book sets of the Middle Ages. $6,000-8,000.
  • Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    17th July 2025
    Forum, July 17: Lucianus Samosatensis. Dialogoi, editio princeps, second issue, Florence, Laurentius Francisci de Alopa, 1496. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, July 17: Boccaccio (Giovanni). Il Decamerone, Florence, Philippo di Giunta, 1516. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, July 17: Henry VII (King) & Philip the Fair (Duke of Burgundy). [Intercursus Magnus], [Commercial and Political Treaty between Henry VII and Philip Duke of Burgundy], manuscript copy in Latin, original vellum, 1499. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum, July 17: Bible, English. The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New, Robert Barker, 1613. £4,000 to £6,000.
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    Forum, July 17: Mathematics.- Blue paper copy.- Euclid. De gli Elementi, Urbino, Appresso Domenico Frisolino, 1575. £12,000 to £18,000.
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    Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern
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    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Book of Hours by the Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, Use of Sarum, in Latin, Southern Netherlands (Bruges), c.1450. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Albert Einstein. Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatino, on his research into General Relativity, 12 May 1929. £12,000 to £18,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: John Gould. The Birds of Europe, [1832-] 1837, 5 volumes, contemporary half morocco, subscriber’s copy. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Books, Manuscripts and Music from Medieval to Modern
    Now through July 10, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: Ian Fleming. A collection of James Bond first editions, 8 volumes in all. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, Ending July 10: J.R.R. Tolkien. Autograph letter signed, to Amy Ronald, on Pauline Baynes's map of Middle Earth, 1970. £7,000 to £10,000.

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